The Application 1. That by Nature we are spiritually dead You read of some that are dead whilst they live 1 Tim. 5.6 And saith Christ Let the dead bury the dead but follow thou me As the Body without the Soul is dead So we now being without Christ are dead men and women 1. We are dead men in regard of the Sentence of Death and Condemnation past upon us by the Law Gal. 3.10 Cursed is every one that continueth not in every thing that is Written in the Book of the Law to do it Rom. 5.12 By one man sin entred into the world and death by sin for that all have sinned All our first Father Adam's house are but dead men before the Lord we are all guilty before God Though we are not executed yet we are under the Sentence of Death by the Law and the Sentence of the Law will be executed at last if we be not pardoned in Christ 2. We are dead men as to the life of Grace and true Holiness Our best works are but dead works Heb. 9.14 The carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be Though indeed before Conversion we may do things that are good for the matter yet we do nothing from a right principle and to a right end Joh. 15.5 Without me ye can do nothing Except we have Spiritual Sap and Life from Christ we can bring forth no true fruit but are like a dead and withered Branch that hath no life in it 2. What that Life is that Christ gives to dead Sinners 1. The Life of Justification When we are united to Christ the Sentence of Death by the Law is taken off We use to say that of a Malefactor when the Sentence of Death is passed upon him that he is a dead man But if once a Pardon come that makes him a living man then he cannot be executed Rom. 8.1 There is therefore now no Condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus There was a heavy Sentence of Condemnation passed upon us by the Law but now we are in Christ we are pardoned in Christ and now there is no Condemnation Now as Paul saith Gal. 2.20 I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me 2. We have from Christ the Life of Sanctification the life of Grace and Holiness too whereby the Soul hath a Spiritual Inclination and Disposition to act towards God according to that Hebr. 8.10 I will put my laws into their mind and write them in their hearts Ezek. 36.26 27. A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you an heart of flesh And I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes The Preaching of the Life that Christ giveth is to them that perish foolishness Some are fit to make a mock at Life and Justification by the Blood and Righteousness of Christ And so likewise at Conversion at the infusing of Grace into the heart wherby we come to live unto God But as these things are plainly revealed in the Scripture so to them that believe these things are precious 3. Let us enquire what we are to understand here by the Voice of the Son of God 1. The Gospel may be called the voice of the Son of God as it is an Instrumental means to make dead Souls to live The Gospel is called The Word of Grace Acts 20.32 The Word of Christ Col. 3.16 The Word of Life Phil. 2.16 By the Dispensation and Preaching of the Gospel Christ conveyeth himself into our Souls The Letter the Law killeth seeing we are sinners the Law is the ministration of death to us 2 Cor. 6.7 It tells us we are dead men cursed men it revealeth the wrath of God due to us for our sins The Law through our default cannot give us Life because we have not a Righteousness that the Law requires in our selves But it is the Gospel that reveals to us the new way to Life that shews us an Attonement and Righteousness in another We can neither be justified by the Law nor be sanctified by it We cannot be justified by it because we cannot fulfil it We cannot be sanctified by it because it only commands us to obey but giveth no new strength now we have lost the Holiness we had in Adam 'T is the Gospel that reveals to us how we may be justified before God and may have the Image of God renewed upon us But to make us spiritually alive there must be more than a bare Declaration of the Gospel many hear the Gospel Preached many years and yet never hear the voice of the Son of God and Live Therefore here is more to be understood 2. By the voice of the Son of God is meant the Secret Efficacy and Power of the Spirit of Christ so put forth as to turn the heart to the Lord. As the Lord Jesus did say to Lazarus when he was Dead Lazarus come forth and at the same time put Life into him So when the set time is come for the conversion of any of the Elect people there goes forth such a Power of Christ as to put Spiritual Life into them Ministers may speak and spend their strength in calling to dead Souls to come forth but except the Lord put in with them so as to effect the work men will still abide in death Object Hearing presupposeth Life Therefore how is it said That they that hear the voice of the Son of God shall live Can they hear before they live Answer This hearing the voice of the Son of God and living Spiritually are both at the same time As Lazarus when Christ bad him come forth he heard and lived at the same time Christ speaking to the heart with such Power as to turn the heart to himself goes before Spiritual Life in order of Nature but not in order of Time Conversion is a work of Spiritual Creation and so is not like other things The Lord saith live and the Soul liveth 4. Let us enquire what the Lord works upon a man dead in trespasses and sins to make him live Spiritually I shall not stand to speak of what the Lord doth by way of Preparation for the Souls receiving Christ this must be supposed that the Lord doth set our sins in order before us convince us of Sin and of Judgment to come But the very thing by which we are translated from Death to Life is the Lords giving us his Spirit to unite us to Christ whereby we receive the Life of Justification and Sanctification from him The Lord gives the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation Ephes 1.17 God who commanded Light to shine out of Darkness hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledg of the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 The Sinner was convinced of his lost estate before
personal union with the God-head the humane nature partakes of Grace and Gifts to its utmost capacity 2. It was necessary that Christ should be filled with the spirit in our nature that so he might be able to manage his work and office to perform his active and passive obedience and to be a Store-house and treasury of grace and consolation to his people that they may be supplied from him and of his fullness receive and grace for grace Application Use 1. Learn whence it is that a person may be enabled to speak holily and graciously It is said here that Christ spake the words of God and he brings in this for a reason for he received not the spirit by measure The more we have of the Spirit of God the more we shall speak the Words of God and though we can never have so much of the spirit as Jesus Christ had â—or spake the Words of God as he did yet set us â—ray that we may have the spirit and more and more of the spirit that we may in our measure â—peak the Words of God What is the reason â—hat our words are no more savory and spiritual â—ut unprofitable and vain too often 'T is beâ—use we have but a little of the spirit if we have the spirit at all in a sanctifying way And for those whose words are altogether carnal and vain nothing but prophane scurrilous unclean speeches come from them such may well think that they have not the Spirit of God He that hath the Spirit of God will endeavour in some measure to speak the Wordâ— of God for where the Spirit of God is given in a saving manner he sanctifies the heart and sanctifies the tongue and so causes their words to be gracious and spiritual in some measure Therefore as we desire that our speech may be with grace holy and edifying pray for the spirit to be given unto us It is said of Christ that they wondered at the gracious words that proceeded from him he was full of the spirit and he spake the words of God O let us be much in prayer for the spirit to give us a mouth and wisdom upon all occasions pray that we may have the spirit to fill our hearts with holy thoughts and to fill our mouths with holy discourse Use 2. Learn from hâ—nce that when God calls to any work or service he is wont to give abilitiâ—â— and strength for that work Our Lord Jesuâ— was called to a great work to be performed iâ— our humane nature and you see here how hâ— was filled with the spirit and fitted for thaâ— work When God calls us to any work or service let us not look at the greatness of thâ— work to discourage us no but look principall at Gods calling you to it and if it be so thaâ— God calls us to the work he will give us of hâ— Spirit in some measure to strengthen us and help us When Moses died and Joshuah succeeded him he had great difficulties to go through in the work he was called to But saith the Lord fear not be not discouraged I will not fail thee nor forsake thee Therefore if you be assured that the Lord calls you to the work and service you are employed in fear not trust in the Lord keep in his way and he will give you strength he will stand by you and will not fail you nor forsake you Follow the Lord in your places and if sufferings come towards you the Lord will either put them by or he will support you and strengthen you with might by his spirit in the inward man Use 3. Learn from hence the excellency of Jesus Christ in that he is filled with the spirit Besides his infinite Glory as God you may see here what excellency is in him even as to his humane nature in that the Spirit is not given by measure unto him but beyond what is given to any other men or Angels Take a Saint and the Spirit and Grace of God in him adorns him in the eyes of others you will say there is such a one how full of love of wisdom of humility is he this makes him beautiful indeed But then how glorious should Christ be in our eyes both as to his God-head and as to the wisdom purity holiness and fullness of the spiâ—it in his humane nature In which respect even â—s the Son of man he is fairer then all the Chilâ—ren of men and then all the Angels in Heaven Suppose all the grace that is in all the Saints and Angels were abstracted and put all into one yet this is nothing to the fullness and grace that is in Christ There is wisdom love meekness and every grace in Christ that is compatible to his pure and holy nature without measure Use 4. Learn from hence to go to Christ for the spirit and grace in all our times of need He is filled with the spirit in our nature and as the Egyptians when they were ready to starve in the Famine and came to Pharoah he sent them to Joseph go to Joseph So go to Jesus there you may be supplied go to Jesus for the spirit to mortify our corruptions to quicken our graces to help us in all our duties and sufferings As Jacob said to his Sons Why stand ye looking one upon another there is Corn in Egypt go and fetch from thence that we may not perish So let believers go to Jesus Christ and fetch supplies of grace from him go to him as one that is able and willing to help his people in all their times of need Lastly We may learn from hence the ignorance and blasphemy of those that make a mock of the spirit and deride others as prizing the spirit whereas the excellency of Christ is set forth amongst other things by this that he was filled with the spirit 'T is true many may pretend to the spirit that have him not but therefore to make a mock of having the spirit is no less than blasphemy The Spirit is given to all Believers and he that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his not yet of his called ones The Believer is called the Spiritual man 1 Cor. 2.15 Some may pretend to be made partakers of Christ and yet be mistaken but he that shall mock people and use it as a Reproach to them that they believe in Christ and are Christians is a Blasphemer And so is he that shall use it as a Reproach to any That this is one that hath the Spirit Now I come to vers 35. The Father loveth the Son and hath given all things into his hand These words seem to hold forth the Reason of the former he had said before that God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him that is Christ And why so For the Father loveth the Son and hath given all things into his hand The Father loves the Elect Angels and loves Elect men but the Father loves the Son above all others
wrath of God Can you endure to have the wrath of God to abide upon you Let me beseech one thing of you even for the Lord's sake and for your own Souls sake that when you come home that you would retire a little get alone and seriously ponder these words He that believeth not the Son shall not see Life but the wrath of God abideth on him Ask your own hearts whether you believe what is spoken here and that it shall be fulfilled upon all those that reject Christ And when you are alone put it upon your hearts to consider seriously what it is to have the wrath of God abide upon you what a miserable condition that will be If you had but a Sentence of Death passed upon you by a Judge of Assize how terrible is it to most men But then how dreadful will this be to you when the Lord shall say Depart from me ye Cursed when the Lord shall say that you shall never see Life but the wrath of God shall abide on you for ever Did you never see one under a deep sense and apprehension of Gods wrath O how such an one will cry out And yet it is but some drop or so that falls upon the Conscience here in this Life in comparison of Hell If you have not seen any under the sense of God's wrath consider what the Scripture saith of Cain and Judas what Terrours they were under and read the Story of Francis Spira there you may see what amazing astonishing Expressions and Wishes came from him under a sense of God's wrath lying upon him he was so tormented that but he was watched by his Friends and could not get opportunity he would have killed himself Yea and consider our Lord Jesus Christ who never had any sin inherent in him yet standing in the room of his People and having their sins imputed to him that by his Suffering in their stead Justice might be satisfied for Sin How he was filled with Astonishment and Grief under the wrath of God due to our sins Mat. 26.38 Then saith he unto them My Soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death Luk. 22.44 And being in an Agony he prayed more earnestly and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground And he cried out upon the Cross My God my God why hast thou forsaken me We must not think that the Captain of our Salvation was thus sorrowful and sweat drops of Blood and cried out so vehemently for the fear and pain of bodily death which many Martyrs and other men have endured without any great disturbance but Christ bare that in his Sufferings that was ten Thousand times more dreadful he had the Iniquities of all his people at once laid upon him and so bare the wrath of God due unto them Our Lord Jesus Christ the Mighty One being God-man soon made Satisfaction for the sins of his people and so was acquitted and discharged and is now in the same Nature wherein he Suffered at the right hand of God But I pray consider If we bear the wrath of God our selves what shall we do You see it is no light matter it will be a burden too heavy for us to bear it will make us wish again and again that we had never been born And truely if we do not believe on the Son who hath born wrath for Sinners and who alone delivers from the wrath to come it must abide upon us Think of these things between the Lord and your own Souls and let us call to one another and awaken one another and tell one another of the danger that we are in If this house where we are were set on fire and one were asleep here it were time to awaken them O! If you have Children Servants Acquaintance that are in an ignorant and prophane way call to them and endeavour to convince them of their sins and draw them to believe in Christ Quest But it may be some will say you press this believing in Christ very much and what is there in believing that those that believe should have Everlasting Life Answ There is nothing of Merit of Efficiency or Causality in our believing to free us from the wrath of God and to bring us to everlasting Life For everlasting Life is the Gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord so that we do not set up Faith to have any part with Christ in the Glory of our Salvation But I pray consider it that Faith is that Grace whereby we lost Sinners being convinced of our Sins and having no hope of any help and relief in our selves do wholy betake our selves to Jesus the Mediator for our Salvation So that Christ is all and doth all and by Faith we receive and embrace Christ our Justifier And so hath the Lord ordained that by going out of our selves and receiving Christ the Mediator we have the Gift of Righteousness even the Righteousness of Christ imputed to us to the Justification of Life So that it is not Faith as a Work but Faith as a Hand or Instrument whereby we receive Christ the Saviour that justifies us in the sight of God Quest But how shall I come to believe on the Lord Jesus Answ 1. You must be convinced of Sin You must see that you are guilty before God that you cannot stand before the Holy Lord God But alas Mens hearts are so taken up with the Cares and Pleasures of the world and think so little of Eternity and the Judgment to come that it is in the thoughts of few how they shall be discharged from the guilt of their Sins and have everlasting Life 2. You must see that there is no help for you in your own personal Righteousness How can there when you have sinned already And all the Righteousness that you can perform in this Life is defective and full of Imperfections You must know that there must be a perfect Righteousness to justifie you 3. You must know that Christ is he that is Ordained of God to be the Saviour That you can be saved only by his Blood and Righteousness and so cast your self wholly upon him This Faith is the Gift of God No man can come to Christ except the Father which hath sent him draw him And though some may think this believing in Christ a notion a fancy or however a common or easy thing yet as it is a real thing wrought in the hearts of the Elect by the Spirit of God so it is no easy thing to believe truly on Christ when a sinner is convinced of the Greatness of God the Holiness of his Law the revenging Justice of God and his own guilt and filth it is a great work of God to fix and stay the heart upon the Lord Jesus Christ to deliver such a one from going down to the pit and bring the soul to everlasting Life Object I dare not come to Christ because I do not know I am Elected Answer You cannot
and now there comes a powerful Light into the heart to reveal Christ so as to enable the Soul to see Christ held forth in the Promises and to receive him The Apostle saith 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners Now the Soul saith It is so indeed 't is worthy of all acceptation the Soul now is wrought by the Spirit to approve and like this way of Salvation and heartily close with it Now the Understanding is enlightned and the Will rectified and brought to embrace Christ It is the Lord that makes this change He worketh in us to will and to do Phil. 2.13 Every one that is converted receives Christ Joh. 1.12 But to as many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God even to them that believed on his Name Though it may be that the Souls receiving Christ at first is scarce discerned but afterwards by renewing acts of Faith upon Christ and by the effects of Union with Christ we may come to see that we have received Christ and are made partakers of Spiritual Life There is a certain moment of time when a man hath Spiritual Life put into him he heareth the voice of the Son of God and liveth But the work is so secret and mysterious that it is hard for us to say that just such a day such an hour we heard the voice of the Son of God and lived Though some may be able to know the time yet not all that are made alive by Christ But we find by degrees the acts and effects of Spiritual Life whereby we may know that we have heard the voice of the Son of God and live When we receive Christ then we are made alive indeed for wheras we were under the sentence of death by the Law now we are forgiven all trespasses and have the Righteousness of Christ imputed to us And those that receive this gift of Righteousness are not only freed from Hell but shall reign in life by Jesus Christ Rom. 5.17 When we truly receive Christ we are sanctified also Together with the Faith that the Lord gives us to receive Christ for our Justification he also gives his Spirit to work in us a Principle of Holiness and new obedience that we may be both in repect of Justification and Sanctification alive from the Dead Application Use 1. Here we may see the miserable estate that every man and woman is in that hath not heard the voice of Christ. Brethren and beloved do you believe this that dead sinners are made alive by hearing the voice of the Son of God Then those that never yet heard the voice of the Son of God they are yet dead in Trespasses and Sins If you never yet heard the voice of Christ then you are dead men all your sins are upon you you are under the sentence of death by the Law and if you never come to hear the voice of the Son of God this sentence of Death will be upon you for ever And if you never yet heard the voice of Christ to put spiritual life into you then you are dead also as to any Life of Grace and Holiness Those works that you are ready to be proud of and glory in they are all but dead works and you do not truly serve the living God But you will say we hope we have heard the voice of Christ we have heard many able Ministers many good Sermons we have had the Word opened to us Answer This is a Priviledg indeed to have the Word Preached to you but it is not the voice of a man no nor of the Angels of Heaven if they should speak to you that can put Spiritual Life into you except withal you hear the voice of the Son of God Therefore If you never yet heard the voice of Christ to make the Preaching of the Gospel effectual to your Souls I say unto every such person as God said to Abimilech Gen. 20.3 Thou art but a dead man thou art a Sinner and the wages of Sin is Death thou art a condemned man and thou hast no Life of Holiness neither Therefore consider your case and condition Examine your selves Whether the Word Preached hath had that power upon your hearts to draw you to Christ and to turn you from your Iniquities Objection If that we hear the Word Preached by men yet you say that except we hear the voice of the Son of God we cannot live then to what purpose should we attend upon the Preaching of the Gospel Answer It is your Duty to hear what God the Lord speaketh by his Servants and Ministers and though the Word Preached cannot Convert you without the Voice and Power of Christ yet it may please the Lord at one time or other to make the Preaching of the Word effectual upon your hearts as he hath done to others Use 2. See the exceeding greatness of Christ's Power He is able to make dead Souls to live he is able to quicken those who are dead in Trespasses and Sins a work which neither Men nor Angels can do Yea know and take notice That it is no labour no difficulty to Christ to make dead Souls live He can do it easily and suddenly He can do it with a word He can do it as easily as you or I can speak a word The Text saith That the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live Use 3. Of Direction to those that have heard the voice of the Son of God and are now quickned and are made alive 1. Bless and praise the Lord stand and wonder at what the Lord hath done for you If any of you had been dead and in the Grave and Christ had said to you as he did to Lazarus come forth and so you had been raised but from a bodily death to live again this had been a great wonder But this is a far greater wonder O! therefore bless the Lord say this my Soul was Dead and is alive I was under the Sentence of Death for the Breach of the Law and now I am pardoned I was without any life of holiness and now the Lord hath given me a new Heart a new Spirit Thus when I lay in my Blood the Lord said unto me Live 2. Love the Lord Jesus who hath delivered your Soul from Death Love him because he first loved you and said to you when you lay in your Blood Live Love him and love the word of his Grace by which he quickened you Never forget his Word the Word of his Grace by which he hath quickned your Souls Love his Word and Ordinances wherein he hath put forth the Power of his Grace to youâ— Souls 3. Trust in the Lord to perform all things for you If you have heard the voice of the Son of God and Live then you have had experience of the Power of Christ indeed
is said in the parable of the Talents in Matt. 25. He that had one Talent and improved it not but hid it he came and brought his Talent but did he please his Lord with the Talent He had not improved his Talent for his Lord and saies his Lord to him Thou wicked and sloathful Servant take away the Talent from him Now what would his Lord have said to him if he had improved it for himself he did not improve it for his Lord nor for himself neither and was this displeasing to his Lord how much more displeasing would it have been if he had improved it for himself Certainly whatever a man or woman doth if he do it not for God but for himself he cannot please God in it Then a man cannot please God without Faith because without Faith he cannot go beyond self Ephraim is an empty Vine he bringeth forth Fruit to himself Hosea 10.1 And so God speaks of every unbeliever such a man or woman is an empty vine he bringeth forth fruit to himself he doth not he cannot please God in any thing that he doth This is the first demonstration Secondly Without Faith it is impossible to please God because till a man or womans person be accepted and pleasing to God all that ever he doth cannot please God and that cannot be without Faith It is said in Genesis 4.4 5. that God had respect to Abel and to his Offering he had not respect to Cain and his Sacrifice but he had respect to Abel's Sacrifice why because he had first respect to Abels person By Faith his person was accepted and then his Sacrifice was accepted God had no respect to Cains Sacrifice because his person was not accepted and his person was not accepted because he was not a Believer When a Soul comes to believe on Christ then and not till then his person is accepted because that which made God displeased with him is removed and his Sin is pardoned and now the Soul doth appear Righteous in the sight of God but till a person comes to believe on Christ it is impossible that ever this person should please God because his person is not accepted then whatever comes from him is not accepted It is a full word that the Apostle hath to this purpose in Rom. 8.8 So then he brings it in by way of conclusion So then they that are in the Flesh cannot please God Obj. That are in the flesh you will say what is that was not Paul in the Flesh when he saies in Gal. 2.20 The life that I now live in the Flesh I live by the Faith of the Son of God Paul was in the Flesh and did not Paul please God all the believers that are upon the face of the Earth are in the Flesh and yet the Apostle saies here those that are in the Flesh cannot please God But I pray observe what the Apostle means by being in the flesh there is a douacceptation of the Word one is to live this life here in the Body but that is not the Apostles meaning when he says those that are in the flesh cannot please God for then never a Believer in the World can please God But then 2dly there is another meaning of the Word according to the Scripture to be in the flesh is to be in a fleshly carnal State a corrupt State an unchanged State an unbelieving State and condition they that are thus in the flesh cannot please God and this is the sence of the Holy-Ghost in Rom. 7.5 For when we were in the Flesh saies he c. why he was in the Flesh in one sence but he was not in the Flesh in another sence when we were in the Flesh that is when we were unbelievers in a fleshly carnal state when we were so in the flesh we could not please God and no man that is in the Flesh in that sence can please God But why is it not possible for a man or woman that is an Unbeliever to please God Why so why look but into the former verse Rom. 8.7 there he gives you the reason of it why those that are Unbelievers cannot please God because the carnal mind is enmity against God it is not subject to the Law of God nether indeed can be and then he brings in this conclusion So then they that are in the Flesh they that have a carnal mind they that are altogther unbelievers cannot please God because they are Enemies to God enemies in the highest degree for mark the expression he doth not say the carnal mind is an enemy to God but he puts it in the abstract the Carnal mind is enmity against God Enmity it self it is irreconcileable to God it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be till God change it Now see the force of the demonstration every unbeliever is an Enemy to God and every thing he doth comes from a principle of enmity against God and do you think that can please God though he seems to do much for God he prays much and reads much and is much in thanksgiving and much in confessing of sin but all this comes from a principle of enmity against God and what can this please God Suppose now you should have an enemy and he should come and seem to speak you fair and you know that he hath a heart full of hatred and enmity against you possibly he comes and confesses he hath done you wrong and he is sorry for it but he hopes he shall do so no more if you know he comes and speaks this with a spirit of Enmity and that he doth maintain his enmity as fully in his heart and mind as ever are you pleased with these confessions no you abhor him the more because he comes in a dissembling hipocritical way Now God sees and knows our Hearts possibly we may be taken with some such expressions of an enemy and think he means as he says and take it in good part but a Man cannot deceive God So when an Unbeliever comes and confesses his Sins to God the Lord sees he doth it with a spirit of enmity he comes with his humble petitions and supplications and the Heart is full of Enmity and hatred against God Will the Lord now accept of this He comes and gives thanks to God but the Lord looks upon all as hypocritical and flattering and can this be pleasing to God in Psalm 78.34 When he slew them then they sought him and they returned and inquired early after God Verse 35. And they remembred that God was their Rock and the High God their Redeemer Now they challenge acquaintance with God and claim interest in God well but what doth the Holy-Ghost say of this their inquiring after God Verse 36. Nevertheless they Flattered him with their Mouth and they Lyed unto him with their Tongues And could God be pleased with this I pray consider this is the very case every Unbeliever is an Enemy to God is
that he should destroy all the posterity of Ahab and so be did in Chapt. 9. and the fore-part of the 10th Chapter Now then see what a Testimony the Lord gives of his own approbation of Jehu at the 30 verse And the Lord said to Jehu Because thou hast done well in Executing that which is right in mine Eyes and hast done unto the House of Ahab according to all that was in mine Heart thy Children of the Fourth Generation shall sit on the Throne of Israel Did not Jehu please God here and was not Jehu an Unbeliever see verse 31. But Jehu took no heed to walk in the Law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam which made Israel to Sin And so for Nebuchadnezzar he did what God required him to do Go says God against Tyrus and conquer it it cost him a hard bout but did it not please God Then it seems when men and women do that which God requires they please God in so doing For Answer to this in two things Answ First That the thing that God commands being done do please God for the substance of it for the matter of it it is pleasing to God and so far pleasing as God may manifest his Approbation he may give a testimony that he doth approve of it by some outward reward as he did to Jehu God testified that what he did pleased him and he gave him a reward And so for Nebuchadnezzar's Warring against Tyrus God did approve of it and shew his acceptation of the thing being done by rewarding and recompensing of Nebuchadnezzar Ezekiel 29.18 19. and 20. Son of Man Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon hath caused his Army to serve a great Service against Tyrus c. And what shall he have he shall have a reward verse 19. Therefore thus saith the Lord God behold I will give the Land of Egypt unto Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon c. That is one Answer That the thing that God Commands being done God doth approve of it for the Substance But Now Secondly Though God do approve of the thing that is done for the substance of it yet being done by such a person in such a manner to such an end God doth not accept it As now take both these Instances again Jehu God did approve of the thing that he did and manifested his approbation of it his cutting off the posterity of Ahab God approved of it but for the manner of Jehu's doing of it it being done in the way of unbelief God expresses his displeasure against it in Hosea 1.4 saies God yet a little while and I will avenge the Blood of Jezreel upon the House of Jehu What would God be revenged for doing that which he required God Commanded him to cut off the Posterity of Ahab and God approved of it but for the manner of doing of it it being done by such a one in a state of unbelief he did not please God in it the thing it self was acceptable to God but for the manner of it God was not pleased with it And so for Nebuchadnezzar God calls him his Servant in Jeremiah 25.9 The breaking of the Nations by Nebuchadnezzar was a thing that God required and yet being done by him God will be revenged on him for it Therefore if you look into Haggai 2.22 God threatens there to destroy Nebuchadnezzar's Kingdom that had destroyed so many Nations and yet he had done but that that God had set him about so that observe and understand the Answer thus that the thing done that God requires for the substance of it God doth allow and approve of it but being done by one that is an Unbeliever God doth not accept of his person nor of his Service God may allow it so far as to manifest his approbation of it and to give some outward recompence and reward for it and yet notwithstanding God doth not allow it so as to accept it with a Gracious acceptation being done by such a one Obj. 4. But the Fourth Objection is of greatest Weight and Moment and a matter of the greatest Temptation and that is this you will say to me But if it be impossible for a Man or woman to please God without Faith then it is in vain for any man or woman to endeavour to do any thing that is pleasing unto God for if it be impossible to please God by what we do then why should we pray and hear the Word and read the Word here is a Temptation that I suppose will presently come in upon you If it be impossible to please God without Faith hath not this a tendency to put people into despair of ever hoping to please God by all that they can do But for Answer to it briefly in two things Answ 1. First Though it be true that it is impossible for any Man or Woman to please God without Faith yet notwithstanding mark I pray what I say yet God may please to look towards the prayers and endeavours of an Unbeliever God may please graciously to look towards their desires and supplications when they are in the Lords way seeking of him I do not say God will do it but I say God may do it perhaps God may look towards an unbeliever and give ear to the prayers that he makes I pray mind it because here is a very great Temptation that is ready secretly to prevail over us upon the hearing of such a Truth as this that we cannot please God by all that ever we can do Why then a Man had as good take his course and Sin and take his pleasures in the World he can but displease God at last and he cannot please him by all that he can do Therefore I say here is the first Answer Though it is true we cannot say certainly that God will be pleased with the prayers and endeavours of an Unbeliever yet God may please graciously to look towards the prayers and supplications of an unbelieving Soul I pray else why doth the Apostle Peter put Simon Magus upon it to pray to God in Acts 8.22 Simon Magus was a Sorcerer and he listened and hearkened to what Philip Preached and forsooth he would be a convert and went for a Believer Peter and John hearing the report what was done by the Gospel went to confirm him but Peter presently smelt out Simon Magus what he was by his offering him Money for the gift of the Holy-Ghost saies he Thy Money perrish with thee I perceive that thou art in the Gall of bitterness and in the Bond of iniquity repent says he therefore of this thy wickedness and pray God if perhaps the thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee Peter put him upon Prayer he was a wicked Man an Unbeliever in the Gall of bitterness and in the Bond of iniquity yet pray to God saies he perhaps the thought of thy Heart may be forgiven thee And so Paul speaks in 2. Tim. Ch. 2.
the Soul hath been praying in Faith and God hath heard his Prayer though he give him not the particular thing he prays for yet he is made to submit to the Will of God This was just the case of Christ Christ prayed that the Cup might pass from him the Cup did not pass from him yet in his Prayer he was brought to submit to the Will of God Nevertheless not my will but thy will be done So possibly the Soul could not be satisfied with the dispensation of God he comes and commends himself and his case to the Lord and upon Prayer the Soul is brought to submit to the Will of God and to say not my will but thy will be done This is the first Secondly When the Soul is brought into a composed frame upon Prayer possibly the Soul was all in a hurry and royl before it met with something that was matter of affliction and perplexity and it was like the raging Sea the Soul could not rest night nor day well when this Soul comes and commits its self and case and condition to the Lord in Prayer and now there is a great calm and quiet in the heart and all is allayed on a sudden here is now the Power of Faith the spirit of Faith hath prevailed and God hath come in and answered that Prayer tho' not in the same kind and way that the Soul desired yet it is a sign it is a Prayer of Faith and God hath answered it because now the heart is quieted and composed after such a storm This was the case of Hannah Hannah was in a royle at first when she was upbraided for barrenness she goes and commends her Case to the Lord before she told Ely she was a woman of a troubled spirit 1 Sam. 1.15 I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink but have poured out my soul before the Lord. And when she had gone before the Ark and commended her self and case to the Lord by Prayer it is said at Verse 18. That she went her way and did eat and her countenance was no more sad And so likewise this was David â—s case David was exceedingly troubled and perplexed and disquieted because of the sickness of his Child 2 Sam. 12. He fasted and prayed earnestly a long time and though the Child died yet David's spirit was calm and composed and when he heard the Child was dead then he anointed himself vers 20. and went into the House of the Lord and worshipped and he went also into his own House and did eat and drink as he used to do to the wonderment of his Servants about him God had composed his heart and though he had not the thing he prayed for yet he had his Prayer answered and his Prayer was a prayer of Faith Object But you will say May not another that hath no faith at all pray and find his spirit quiet how is this then the work of faith one that never had any faith at all possibly he may pray and have his spirit quiet and is never troubled at all wherein lies the difference Answ Mark I pray such a one that is not at all troubled about his condition he is after Prayer just as he was before Now I say this is an evidence that Faith hath been at work upon the heart namely when the spirit was all in a royle and commotion like the raging Sea and then upon Prayer it is calmed and quieted this is an argument that this Prayer is a prayer of Faith Thirdly It is an argument that a Soul prays in Faith when as the Soul is made to persevere in Prayer notwithstanding the discouragements and difficulties it meets withal for this is the proper work and effect of Faith to go on against discouragements and not to be taken off by difficulties As now the woman that had the bloody Issue she would fain have come to Christ but she met with impediments there was a great throng about him that she could not tell how to get near him but her Faith did carry her on against all the discouragements and impediments that she met withal she would press into the throng and if she could but touch the Garment of Christ she would be satisfied the throng should not keep her from Christ Mark 5.28 And so the blind man in Mark 10.46 c. that sate by the way-side begging he heard that Jesus was passing by and he cryed out Jesus thou son of David have mercy on me and he made such a noise that the people were offended at him and charged him to hold his peace and it is said vers 18. That he cried out a great deal more and Christ took notice of his Prayer and called him to him and said What wilt thou that I should do to thee verse 51. Lord said he that I might receive my sight Go thy way says Christ thy faith hath made thee whole It was a prayer of Faith and Christ did hear it and he was kept on praying against discouragements and impediments that he met with And so the woman of Cannaan came to Christ for her Daughter Matt. 15. she intreats Christ to have Mercy upon her Christ turns a deaf ear to her and and answers her never a word she goes on still and Christ denies her I am not sent says he but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel Here was discouragement upon discouragement she goes on still and says Christ It is not meet to take the Childrens bread and cast it to dogs Yet she would not be discouraged but went on till she had obtained the Mercy So I say when a Soul is drawn out to go on in Prayer notwithstanding discouragements and objections and temptations to the contrary it is an argument that it is a Prayer of Faith and God will hear it and answer it in his own time 4. I might have added a fourth which is this namely when a Soul is made to wait upon God still for an answer and return of his Prayer though the Soul have not yet an answer and doth not meet with a return yet notwithstanding the Soul is made to wait and to go on in waiting to wait and to persevere in waiting truly this is an argument that that Prayer is a prayer of Faith when the Soul is made willing to wait the Lords time and the Lords way for an answer of that he prays for and expects this is an argument of the exercise of Faith Says David when the Lord had promised him to give him the Kingdom Saul was then alive and he sought David's life David sometimes had Saul at an advantage as in 1 Sam. 26. and one of his Worthies that was with him said to him at ver 8. God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day now therefore let me smite him I pray thee with the spear even to the earth at once c. No says David stay the Lords time vers 9.10 11. Destroy him not As the
will do it Your heart was not right says he ye pretended and said whatever the Lord our God shall say we will do but ye did dissemble This is one kind of hypocrisy and guile when a Soul doth dissemble with God and seem to worship God and yet the heart is far from God pretend to come to know the Mind of God and yet have not a full purpose and resolution of heart to do what God shall reveal and make known to be his Will And then there is another kind of hypocrisy and guile which is towards men when as a man doth pretend love to his Neighbour and kindness and friendship in Word and Lip and yet there is no reality at all in the heart The Apostle John speaks of this very thing says he 1 Joh. 3.8 My little Children let us not love in word neither in tongue but in deed and in truth It is not a love in deed and in truth when as our Brother or Neighbour stand in need of supply and help and we shut up our bowels towards him here is dissembling we pretend love and there is no reality Now says the Apostle if you will hear the Word so as to profit by it you must lay aside all guile and hypocrisy this may be another great cause and reason why people do come and hear much and profit little because they harbour guile and hypocrisy in their hearts therefore this you must be careful also to lay aside Thirdly Another impediment which the Holy-Ghost also points at in Scripture which doth hinder us from profiting by the Word is this when we come to hear with our hearts royled with passion and anger and wrath when we come to hear and have our spirits in a storm as it were with passion then we may hear and hear but shall not profit by our hearing for now the heart and spirit is like a joynt or bone out of the Socket now it hath no ability to act its part to do what lay upon such a Member to do So 't is in this case when the heart and spirit is in a royle it is put out of joynt and frame by passion and being disturbed now 't is unfit to attend upon God to hear what God shall speak Now a mans passion may be disturbed one of these two ways so as to be put out of frame to attend upon God to hear the Voice of God in his Word 1. Sometimes by some pinching Providence of God some afflicting Hand of God upon him which doth pinch and disturb the spirit and put it into a royle now a man or woman being thus disturbed in his spirit is unfit to hear what God speaks though he speak to him in a way of mercy and grace you have an instance for this in Exod. 6.9 And Moses spake so unto the Children of Israel but they hearkned not unto Moses How did he speak to the Children of Israel See vers 6.7 8. Wherefore say unto the Children of Israel I am the Lord and I will bring you out from under the burden of the Egyptians and will rid you out of their bondage and I will take you to me for a people and I will be to you a God and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God which brought you out from under the burden of the Egyptians and I will bring you in unto the land which I did sware to give it to Abraham to Isaac and to Jacob and I will give it you for an heritage I am the Lord. And Moses spake so unto the Children of Israel but they hearkned not unto Moses for anguish of spirit and for cruel bondage Through the Providence of God it came to pass that they were oppressed under Egyptian power and when Moses came to speak of inlargement and deliverance they were oppressed and their spirits were filled with anguish and trouble and now let the Lord speak in never such a gracious manner by his Prophet they could not attend to him for anguish of spirit 2. And so sometimes the spirit may be put into a royle and passion for some small petty cross some kind of vexation which others do occasion when they cross them and vex them and thereby their spirits are put out of order and now they are unfit to attend upon God You have an instance for this in 1 Sam. 1.6 7. concerning Hannah it is said there that her adversary provoked her sore for to make her fret because the Lord had shut up her womb and she went up to the House of the Lord and she wept and did not eat she could not tell how to keep the Feast to wait upon God in his Ordinances Why because her spirit was vexed and did fret So you may observe it if your spirits be put out of order as sometimes they are upon a small occasion observe it the Devil is wont to take such opportunities when you are about to draw near to God in any Ordinance then to minister some occasion or other to put you into a fret possibly a little thing out of the way will do it sometimes the misplacing of a Pin will disturb the spirit and sometimes the Husband may take some offence against the Wife and the Wife against the Husband or against the Servants or Children and the Spirit is royled and now you come to hear you shall not profit because now your spirits are royled with passion and this is another impediment and here may be also one great reason why people come and hear and hear and profit little because many times their spirits are royled with passion and this also must be removed Fourthly Another Impediment that must be removed if you will hear the Word to profit then take heed that your hearts do not go after covetousness be not inordinately set upon the riches of this world bent and resolved to be rich in the world truly this will be an impediment and will hinder you from waiting upon God in his Word this will be like Thorns to choke the Word for now the Word is that which doth cross and thwart us in our reaches after the riches of the world The Word tells us of other riches that are more true Riches now when a mans heart is set upon the riches of the world he cannot then yield to what is spoken just like the rich man we read of in Matt. 19. The rich man comes to Christ to know what good thing he shall do to inherit eternal life Go says Christ in ver 21.22 sell that thou hast and give to the poor and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven And it is said he went away sorrowful because this was contrary to his grain his mind and heart was set upon riches and he could not yield to this Word of Christ And our hearts are ready to scorn and slight and despise what is spoken if our hearts be set upon the riches of the world as you may read in Luke 16.14 't is
yielded to them yet that doth not make it to be warrantable and lawful for us But in a word do we believe are we perswaded that whatsoever is not of Faith is sin If we be not fully perswaded of the lawfulness of a thing and yet do it it is sin And do we believe what the Text saith here That without faith it is impossible to please God Then if so be that we have not Faith to perswade us that such as do Preach are sent by Christ then I think we cannot act Faith in hearing the Word from them This is the first Direction about hearing in Faith namely that we be perswaded that those that we do hear be called and sent by Christ 2. A second Direction how to act Faith in hearing the Word is this namely we should be careful to remove all impediments that may hinder us in our hearing from enjoying the presence of Christ and our profiting by the Word for this is the work of Faith to put us upon the use of all lawful means to attain an end Faith will not expect the end but upon the use of means And so on the other side as it is the work of Faith to put us upon the use of means for the attaining of the end so to avoid all the impediments and hindrances that lye in the way to the attaining of the end when the Lord called Jacob to go to Bethel Gen. 35.1 2 3. that he might worship God there now Jacob that he might enjoy the Presence of God and Communion with God in Bethel in his drawing near to God there Jacob he removes impediments now he calls upon his houshold and all that were with him to put away the strange gods from among them and be clean says he and change your garments and let us arise and go up to Bethel and I will make an Alter unto God c. And so at Mount Sinai God gave order to Moses that the people should be sanctified and purified when they should come to draw near to God and God should draw near to them Exod. 19.10 11. And so now when we are to draw near to God in the hearing of his Word we are to be careful to remove all impediments that may hinder our profiting by our hearing and this is the work of Faith Faith doth set a Soul a work to endeavour to remove all impediments Now there are divers impediments to be removed which will certainly hinder our profiting by the Word I shall name some few special ones which the Scripture hints to us As First This is one Malice in the heart to have the heart possessed with Malice towards one or another this will hinder us from profiting by the Word The Apostle Peter therefore expresly calleth upon us in 1 Pet. 2.1 2. Wherefore laying aside all malice c. As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby As if he should say if you harbor malice in your hearts when you come to hear the Word you will not grow and profit by it if you entertain and allow malice in your hearts towards one another this malice may break out in the envy of the good and welfare of another and so the Apostle brings in that branch of malice envy and sometimes it breaks out in reviling and evil-speaking and therefore says the Apostle Lay aside all malice and envy and evil-speaking and so receive the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby As in Prayer if I regard iniquity in my heart God will not hear my Prayer so in this case if we allow any sin in our hearts any malice towards one or another when we come to hear the Word God will not listen to us and we shall not profit by the Word this may be one cause why people hear so much and profit so little If so be they do allow malice and envy in their hearts and allow themselves to speak evil of others they cannot hear the Word to grow and profit by it no we are to exercise love in our drawing near to God love to God and love to the Word and love to the Saints and love to one another for if so be that we do not love them that we have seen or do see says the Apostle how can we be truly said to love God whom we have not seen 1 John 4.20 Therefore this is one thing Let us be careful to lay aside all malice and envy and evil-speaking if we do desire so to draw near to God in the hearing of the Word as to profit by it Secondly Another impediment that the Apostle hath in the same place of Peter is hypocrisy and guile this also must be laid aside or else we shall not receive the Word so as to grow and profit by it if we come to the hearing of the Word and do maintain guile and hypocrisy in our hearts and allow of it then we cannot profit or grow by the Word The Apostle Peter doth plainly hold forth that all guile and hypocrisy must be laid aside and so receive the Word as new born babes that ye may grow thereby Guile and hypocrisy doth hinder our profiting by the Word for this is now a kind of stumbling-block we draw near to God and have a stumbling-block in our hearts and says the Lord in Ezek. 14.7 If any man setteth up Idols in his heart and putteth the stumbling-block of his iniquity before his face and cometh to a prophet to enquire of him concerning me I the Lord will answer that man by my self Some do expound that place the word stumbling-block for the separating and withdrawing the heart from God Now there are two kinds of hypocrisy or guile that are to be laid aside in hearing the Word one is in respect of God the other is towards man the guile and hypocrisy towards God is this namely when as a man or woman doth seem to draw near to God in his worship attending upon his Word and yet notwithstanding the heart is not near God but afar off from him here is hypocrisy and dissimulation towards God This people says God draw near to me with their mouth and lips but their heart is far from me Isa 29.13 And so Christ tells the Scribes and Pharisees in Matt. 15.8 when as a man doth pretend to draw near to God as if he would know the Mind of God that he may do the Will of God and have no such intendment in his heart he comes to hear the Word what doth this hold forth but that he intends to do the word which he hears Now when the heart is not set to do the Will of God here is hypocrisy I remember Jeremiah speaks to that purpose in Jer. 52.20 For ye dissembled in your hearts says he when ye sent me unto the Lord your God saying pray for us unto the Lord our God and according to all that the Lord our God shall say to us we